Apparatus for dispensing separate successive predetermined quantities or measured amounts of liquid



June 26. 1956 H. s. HILL 2,752,075

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING SEPARATE SUCCESSIVE PREDEJTERMINED QUANTITIES 0R MEASURED AMOUNTS OF LIQUID Filed Aug. 9, 1954 INVENTOR United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING SEPARATE SUC- CESSIVE PREDETERMIN'ED QUANTITIES OR MEASURED AMOUNTS OF LIQUID Herbert S. Hill, Westfield, Mass., assignor to Glenmore Corporation, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts 1 Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 448,437

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-334) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid.

The principal objects of the invention are the provision of apparatus for dispensing separate successive predetermined or measured amounts of liquid.

The novel features of the invention are adapted for broad application but the invention has been found to be particularly adapted for dispensing a beverage in a predetermined or measured amount or quantity.

Apparatus is in use in public places for dispensing cooled beverages but they commonly employ electrical mechanisms which are often disrupted While the beverage handling systems thereof are complicated so that objectionable unsanitary conditions result.

According to the novel features of this invention, the apparatus is simple in form and is operated in an efiicient manner while at the same time the beverage to be dispensed and which is under pressure is made use of in a cycle of operation of the apparatus.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claim hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

The figure is an elevational view of the apparatus of the invention, more or less diagrammatic, and partly in section.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

A measuring valve 2 of the invention includes a measuring bore 4 and what may be called an ejecting bore 6 which is of less area than the bore 4.

Pistons 8 and 10, provided with packing rings, as shown, are reciprocable in the bores and are rigidly connected by a rod 12 so as to be simultaneously movable.

The pistons are shown in upper position and it will be assumed that the bore 4 is filled with beverage which is under pressure and is to be dispensed.

A supply tank 14 contains beverage under pressure and which is to be dispensed. Said tank 14 is connected to an operating valve 16 by pipe 18 and the said valve is connected by a pipe 20 to the lower end of bore 4. A discharge pipe 22 extends from the operating valve 16.

The operating valve 16 has a plug 26 rotatable therein as is well known in the art and has a passageway 28 therein. With the plug 26 in the position shown, the tank 14 is in communication with the bore 4 so that the beverage in said bore holds the pistons 8 and in their 2,752,075 Patented June 26, 1956 upper position. As the plug is rotated ninety degrees to connect bore 4 with discharge 22, the beverage is discharged through the operating valve.

' A cylinder 34 closed at opposite ends has a piston 36 reciprocable therein. The lower end of cylinder 34 is connected by a pipe 38 to the bore 6 of the measuring valve and a flow control valve 40 is disposed in said pipe 38.

A tank 44 for gas is connected by a pipe 46 to the upper end of cylinder 34.

The system including the upper end of the cylinder 34, the bore 6 of the measuring valve and the connecting pipe 38 is filled with a relatively non-compressible liquid such as, for instance, water.

The tank 44 will contain a gas under pressure such as, for instance, carbon dioxide which acts on the piston 36 of cylinder 34.

As stated, the piston 8 in the bore 4 is in the upper position. The areas of the bores 4 and 6 and the area of the cylinder 34 are such with relation to the pressures prevailing in the beverage tank 14 and gas tank 44 that the pressure of beverage in bore 4 holds the pistons 8 and 10 in the upper position and overcomes the pressure of the gas in tank 44 which is exerted through piston 36 against the liquid in cylinder 34.

As the plug 26 of valve 16 is rotated to discharge position to connect 20 and 22, the gas from tank 44 acts on piston 36 which in turn displaces liquid in the cylinder and said liquid acts on piston 10 so that beverage is displaced by piston 8 and is discharged through Valve 16.

Flow control valve 40 will be of any well known form to control the rate of flow of liquid between bore 6 and cylinder 34 thereby to function to time the cycle of operation of the apparatus.

It has been found desirable to employ a liquid such as water for acting on piston 10 as carbon dioxide is more or less unstable.

When the plug of the operating valve 16 is turned to the position shown, pressure of the beverage in tank 14 elevates piston 8 so that piston 10 overcomes the pressure of the liquid and displaces it and moves piston 36 upwardly to the position shown so that the apparatus is in readiness for a subsequent dispensing of beverage.

The apparatus may be arranged as desired in a dispensing cabinet and the tank of beverage may be cooled by refrigerating apparatus. Coin controlled mechanism may be employed as is common with dispensing apparatus to initiate a cycle of operation and, of course, the amount of liquid or beverage dispensed will be according to the capacity of the bore 4.

It will be noted that the apparatus is relatively simple in form While positive and efiicient in operation. The simplicity enhances the sanitary conditions and there are no electrical or complicated mechanical mechanisms as with prior art dispensing apparatus.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Apparatus for dispensing separate successive predetermined measured amounts of pressurized beverage, a closed liquid container for a supply of beverage under pressure, a measuring device having an upper ejecting bore and a lower measuring bore of relatively greater area than said ejecting bore, separate connected ejecting and measuring pistons in said ejecting and measuring bores reciprocable in said bores downwardly in dispensing and upwardly in non-dispensing directions, a closed gas container for a supply of gas under pressure, a gas closed cylinder for gas under pressure having a gas pistonreciprocable therein in downwardly in dispensing and upwardly in nondispensing directions, a closed connection between said gas container and upper side of said gas cylinder whereby said gas piston may be subjected to gas pressure 'at all times, a closed connection between the lower side of said gas cylinder and upper side of the upper bore of the measuring device for liquid whereby the ejecting piston may be actuated through liquid by the gas piston and vice "vers'a, a control valve body having a filling connection to the liquid' container and a filling-discharge connection to the lower filling bore of the measuring device and v, 4 o provided with a discharge, a plug rotatable in said body, between filling and dispensing position having a passage therethrough arranged in filling position of the plug for' the flow of beverage from the liquid container to the as influenced by liquid on the ejector pistonaccording to gas pressure on said gas piston.

References Cite'din the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 759,827 McCalhim May 10, 1904 1,454,765 Patterson et al. May 8, 1923 1,769,499 Dupuy July I, 1930 

